Interv Akut Kardiol. 2023;22(4):181-187 | DOI: 10.36290/kar.2023.031

Post-cardiac arrest syndrome

Jiří Seiner^{1, 2}, Matej Strýček¹, Rostislav Polášek^{1, 2}, Tomáš Roubíček^{1, 2}

¹ Kardiocentrum, Krajská nemocnice Liberec

² Fakulta zdravotnických studií, Technická univerzita Liberec

Post-cardiac arrest syndrome is a complex and serious condition that develops following cardiac arrest and resuscitation. Both the underlying cause of the arrest and the sequelae of ischaemia-reperfusion injury have an effect on its course. Even in the case of successful resuscitation, the subsequent in-hospital mortality of patients is very high. In the early phase of post-cardiac arrest syndrome, multiple-organ failure due to post-resuscitation shock is the most common cause of death. The most serious late consequence is severe neurological impairment. The major factors affecting the prognosis of patients after successful resuscitation are early diagnosis and initiation of treatment of the underlying disease along with good-quality and standardized treatment of post-cardiac arrest syndrome. The need for specific diagnostic and therapeutic methods, as well as the availability of an experienced multidisciplinary team, has in recent years led to an effort to centralize post-resuscitation care in cardiac arrest centres.

Keywords: cardiac arrest, resuscitation, hypothermia.

Received: June 23, 2023; Revised: November 6, 2023; Accepted: November 15, 2023; Published: November 28, 2023  Show citation